What About Now?
by Red Okami writer -Jiseru
Summary: Before: When he was angry, or pestered, he smiled. Everyone knew. Everyone. When they asked how he liked his new home, he smiled. After: They blamed him for the disaster. And he knew it. He knew it. But he couldn't bring himself to smile.


**_Before _**

He hated it.

He uttered these very words as the lucario before him asked him how it was like, standing with his arm outstretched, paw open.

_Whatever you want, I won't let you have it._

As if reading his mind, the lucario slowly put down his paw.

Zoroark grinned. He always smiled when he was annoyed, or perstered, or downright angry. It scared other pokemon. He never took no mind of it. It was danger for new others- like this guy here- that have never seen his smile before.

Lucario, fortunately, got the message and backed away, the small soothe bell on his neck tinkling a faint, sweet sound.

**_After_**

He hated himself.

Lucario, Mewtwo, and Absol glowered at him deeply.

"How could you have just _stood there _and _watched_?" Absol snapped, finally regaining the bit of courage everyone else lacked, as usual. "You could've _done something about it_! _What _were you _thinking_?"

_What was I thinking_? He knew it. He knew why. He just didn't want to think about it, to admit it, to confess.

Zoroark could not bring himself to smile.

**_Before_**

As much as he hated to admit it, he was scared.

The lucario wasn't so bad; at least he could control him. It was the other two that worried him.

A mewtwo seemed too far into his meditation to look up and bid the new guest a welcome. Absol wasn't.

_The disaster Pokemon. Said to be your worst nightmare to cross one- for you will be cursed with unforetold disaster._

Zoroark shivered slightly as the white Pokemon neared him with a smile.

_How can these two dare be around him? They're cursed!_

Or, so he thought.

**_After_**

"I am scared." He admitted.

"Of _course _you're scared," Absol growled, pacing back and forth. The disaster Pokemon looked like some sort of majestic tiger bound within the limits of a small cage. He didn't stop until Lucario gently placed a paw on his shoulder and looked up at Zoroark.

"We all are."

For a moment, Zoroark blamed Absol. Was it not _he _that brought disaster? Was it not _he _that brought bad fortunes among those he loved?

But as quick as he thought it, he felt guilt for even considering such an idea, when Absol had valiantly jumped to the rescue while he himself stood still and watched the whole spectacle as if he had no choice.

Mewtwo arose from his meditative stance and stared at Zoroark with piercing violet eyes.

The black and red Pokemon looked away, unable to hold his gaze for even an instant.

_Before_

It was soft, and light, and green. And stupid.

Zoroark pulled at the long, green scarf that he wore around his neck. He even chewed on it to see if she would notice. She did, but did not mind it. It was his scarf, his possession.

He would've taken it off a long time ago, if it had not been for what she said.

Apparently green symbolized smartness or whatever. Putting it on would make him appear knowledgable.

He was about to tear it off when he found some sort of strange device that he had never seen before. She had left it for him to see for himself.

"It's called a mirror."

Zoroark turned. Lucario walked toward him, the bell tinkling as usual. The black pokemon smiled at him again.

"It lets you look at your reflection- kinda like the water."

Zoroark was about to mention that it was impossible; that only the river could grant you the ability to see yourself as how others perceive you. But he stopped himself. His silence was an act of rebellion. He would refuse to utter another word.

"Well? What do you think?" Lucario gently pushed him to the mirror.

_I look smart. _

Zoroark was surprised at this. The scarf in some weird way really did make him look wiser. He took off the scarf, then put it back on. He did this a few times before he paused and smirked at Lucario, who was trying not to laugh.

The aura pokemon coughed. "Sorry."

**_After_**

It was soft, and light, and green. And, it was a comfort item.

Zoroark had taken it off after the battle, rubbing his paws into the gentle fabric.

"Put it back on," Lucario urged. He and Absol was searching for something.

"Why?" Zoroark whispered. He stared down at it again. "Why, when I feel so... stupid?"

"You're not.. you're not stupid," Lucario said quietly. Absol grunted, never keeping his crimson eyes off the ground.

Zoroark turned away. The disaster pokemon seemed to think so. As did Mewtwo, but the Psychic Pokemon never said anything to confirm his thoughts.

"What are you looking for?"

Lucario gently patted at his barren, soundless neck.

"...Oh." Zoroark gulped, shaking, losing eye contact with all completely. "...I'm sorry."

**_Before_**

Mewtwo never seemed to talk. He was always silently contemplating in meditation, or even in the presence of company. His deep, purple eyes stared out intently, always either full of question or thought. Zoroark always thought there was something wrong with this guy. He was just too _weird. _

Zoroark caught the Psychic Pokemon doing it again, this time watching a rather large, old tree. Pidgy hovered over the leaves, beaks opening slightly for the want of the delicious plump berries offered, but of course, there was something that made them hold back Just before he could even wonder why, shroomish pounced out of their hiding place, making a chaotic entrance scary enough for the pidgy to flock away once more.

The black and red Pokemon watched in amusement as the shroomish doubled up laughing, clinging on to the branch as they released their mirth. He neared Mewtwo, though not by much, to see the spectacle. He was here a week, yet was still intimidated by the feline-like Pokemon. Mewtwo did not notice; he was much too focused on the game taking place.

It was obvious he didn't approve of it.

Zoroark smiled again and folded his arms when suddenly Mewtwo gave a start. Zoroark looked ahead at the scene:

One of the Shroomish, in its laughing fit, had hopped on to a particularly weak branch. It stumbled and struggled to keep it's balance, teetering this way and that. Zoroark straighened, staring stiffly at Mewtwo. Mewtwo twitched slightly

The Shroomish released a terrified scream, falling face first to the ground. There wasn't a second's hesitation. Mewtwo outstretched its arms quickly and compressed power into his hands.

Zoroark watched in amazement as the Shroomish was captured by an invisible force, being let down gently away from the tree onto the ground. At first, the grass-Pokemon turned to thank who had saved his life, but immediately ran away as soon as he realized who his savior was.

The Dark-Type sneered. "Would you look at that. The little ingrate."

Mewtwo turned and stared patiently at him. If he was surprised to hear Zoroark's voice for the first time in a while, he certainly wasn't showing it. Instead, he turned back toward the tree, keeping a watchful eye on the playing Pokemon on the branches. Zoroark shook his head in disgust, grinning only because this kind of nature revolted him. He turned to walk away, but paused when he heard a soft, quiet, and patient voice: "...I was merely protecting the flowers..."

Zoroark glanced beneath the tree, and sure enough, he spotted several pretty, graceful flowers, blowing sweetly in the wind...

**_After_**

Mewtwo didn't seem to want to talk. He silently watched the old, severely damaged tree from the top of the hill. It was almost done burning; the flames had nearly licked the bark off clean, replacing its rich, brown color into something dirty, and black.

Zoroark stared as Mewtwo silently walked down to greet the burnt oak, rubbing his ball-shaped fingers against the bark. All this while, he had a blank expression on his face. The Fox-like Pokemon couldn't imagine how Mewtwo would react if he had only seen...

...Oh. He did. He had ignored it all this time, but he finally braced himself and looked down carefully at his feet.

Zoroark forgot to turn away- and regretted it immensely- when the pain finally entered the clear, violet eyes of the Mewtwo. It was only there briefly, a second even, but it was still there, and Zoroark witnessed it. Mewtwo never, _ever,_ allowed anyone see weakness through him. _Never. _And seeing this... seeing Mewtwo finally break, even for just a second, struck Zoroark a terrible, painful blow.

Mewtwo never noticed the Dark-Type watching. He simply kneeled down and stroked the crumbled, broken remains of the flowers that once swayed sweetly in the wind.

Zoroark will never forget the pathetic, broken look that the Mewtwo had accidentally released, and often wondered if he would have ever felt differently if he only remembered to look away.

**_Before_**

If there were two things Zoroark could recall from memory of what Absol _loved_, it would be music and females.

One: Music. He would just stand there, watching the white furred pokemon running in circles, moving to the beat of whatever song he was listening to. Zoroark could also recall that his favorite was a snappy tune, one that he also enjoyed hearing; often, he would find himself humming it and then stopping abruptly when he thought someone else could hear it. The words were not as imprinted in his mind as Absol's (the Disaster Pokemon also memorized the whole song. It took every inch of Zoroark's will power not to slap him across the face and command him to stop singing in that horrible voice of his), but he remembered the chorus of the melody: "You can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede shoes."

Two: Females. Zoroark enjoyed watching Absol aimlessly chasing after lady pokemon, primarily for the fact that all the females turned him down in a rather humorous manner. It was just too hilarious to pass up, especially since that idiot still goes to one after another. He reminded the Fox-like Pokemon of a fool slipping over a stepping stone and then falling into the water, only to hop back onto the next stepping stone, knowing full well that he could only slip again.

Not that it stopped Absol.

**_After _**

If there were two things Zoroark could name that Absol _loathed_ at that very moment, it would be Bugs and him- Zoroark.

One: Bugs. Absol was vulnerable to Bug-Types anyway, but the fact that he was afraid of them did not make his perception of them any better... especially since that last battle. Zoroark watched silently in the sidelines, unable to will himself to move and fight, to protect, to win. He absolutely _needed to_.

But he didn't.

Which brought him to Two: Himself.

They needed help.

They needed, more specifically, _Zoroark_'_s _help, but he let them down miserably.

When Absol fought, Zoroark gawked on, muscles frozen, feet planted to the ground. When Absol fainted, allowing the enemy to get away, Zoroark had stood still. When Absol awoke, Zoroark finally managed to break out of that state of shock and rush to the white-furred Pokemon's aid.

The black and red Pokemon could feel the other Dark-Type's eyes burning a heated glare into his own. Zoroark simply stroked him, feeling the gashes the adversaries had given him.

Absol shuddered at his touch and pulled away, even bearing his fangs in disgust when Zoroark tried to help him further.

Not that it stopped Zoroark.

**_Before_**

They had names.

They had names, but Zoroark did not like to use them. He called them and himself strictly how he would if they were all in the wild, even after they said they refered it if they were called the original names that she had given them.

He only grinned at their response.

Lucario apparently was named after a well-known, heroic storybook character.

Absol was named after an singer.

Mewtwo was named after a famous man who changed the lives of many.

And Zoroark? Named after the color of his fur.

_Night. _

The _nerve._ If she had absolutely _no _respect for him, he was to have the equal amount of respect for her: absolutely nothing.

**_After _**

Zoroark stared blankly at the ground. When did he get on all his fours? Oh, well... it doesn't matter.

What matters is that Lucario... Lucario gets his Soothe Bell back. Three is better than two, right?

Absol shot him a steely glance, and then turned back to his search.

Apparently not.

**_Before _**

It was called "Chocolate".

Lucario had offered it to him before.

Thinking it poison, Zoroark pushed it away.

"Taste it. It's delicious." Lucario even took a piece off and popped it into his mouth.

Zoroark cautiously took it from him, giving it a close examination before he too put it in his tongue.

It was as exactly how Lucario had said: delicious. Delicious, and milky, and sweet. It melted in his mouth. He quickly raised his paw to his mouth when he thought he might drool.

Lucario laughed. "Yummy, isn't it?"

Stupefied, Zoroark nodded.

_After_

It was called "selfishness".

He finally let this train of thought enter his mind. He bit hard into his lip as he patted the ground.

The first thought that had come to his mind when he watched Mewtwo, Lucario, and Absol defend their trainer was "_If anything happens to her... I'm free._"

**_Before _**

He saw them close in on her when she was just drawing on her sketchbook. Malevolent auras surrounded them.

"May I help you...?" She asked, finally recognizing the strangers that stood before her.

Zoroark muted the whole world when they grabbed her, took out a gun, and aimed it at her heart.

He muted the whole world when the three other pokemon cried out in surprise, and jumped into a massive, gory, and merciless fight to save their master.

He muted the whole world when the men saw him, the only pokemon not distracted, the only pokemon who actually had the possibility to help her.

He muted the whole world when he turned away, pretending they had never even crossed his mind.

**_After_**

They were gone. They've been gone for exactly thirty-six minutes... he kept count.

She was gone too... they took her with them. There was no trace as to where they had gone.

Zoroark stared at his paws, mind going blank, yet wandering at the same time.

_Why did they have to take _her?

**_Before_**

He found out about the place when he followed her into the woods, out of mere curiousity. When she took notice of this, she smiled at him.

He returned the smile, although it had an obviously different meaning behind it.

"Good boy," She said warmly, stopping in front of one of the old oak trees. They were quite a short distance away from his ho-... _their _home. "Did you come for a treat?"

He slapped the little pink poffin she held in her hand.

"Guess not." She turned back to what she was carrying: a knife.

Zoroark took a step back. Before he could assume what her real intentions were for having that knife, she turned and began carving something on the bark of the tree. The Dark-Type watched warily.

She used those weird symbols again... the ones that humans use in their tomes and things. For all he knew, only Mewtwo could easily read passages- Absol learned to read a little, and Lucario and Zoroark could not read at all.

Zoroark stared in confusion and wonder as she finished. "There." She showed the little symbols to him. "What do you think?"

_Stupid. _The Dark-Type grinned.

"It's your name," She said. "The one I gave you."

Zoroark slashed the tree, albeit missing the four neat little words that were against the bark. He gazed coldly at the girl. The girl gazed back, though not as meanly. She pet his mane, and then walked back to the house.

"You're a part of our family, now, Night."

**_After_**

He found it. It was under the tree, the same tree where he had slashed above the tidy little names she had written a long time ago. Before he picked up the silver, tinkling bell, he ran his paws against the bark.

"Absol..." Zoroark said softly, pointing, the Soothe Bell in one paw. "What do these say?"

The white-furred Pokemon glanced indifferently at the tree. Zoroark could tell from his surprised expression that he never knew this tree existed.

"Hmmm.." Absol scrutinized the wording before he read it as clearly as he could.

Lucario was named after a heroic figure. "Atticus."

Absol was named after a singer. "Elvis."

Mewtwo was named after someone who changed the world. "Ghandi."

And Zoroark... Absol had difficulty pronouncing his name. "Kuh...Kuh...Kuh-Night?"

"Knight."

The two pokemon turned and faced the Psychic-Type, who studied the names on the tree as well. "The 'K' is silent."

"...Huh." Absol tilted his head, turning back to the lettering. "Knight... I wonder why she spelled like that?"

"A valiant warrior," Mewtwo said softly. "A valiant warrior, whose sole purpose is to protect with courage and devotion."

Knight... All this time, he thought she was calling him "Night"...

"Hey, Absol, Mewtwo?" Zoroark looked at them. "...I think I'm going to start calling you...us... after the names she gave us."

Absol- Elvis- looked away. Mewtwo... Gandi simply gazed back at him. Lucario, Atticus, beamed. "That... that's wonderful... Knight."

"...And..." Knight looked at the bell in his paws. He handed it to Atticus. "...And I'm... going to be... a valiant warrior."

Atticus sounded hesitant. "...You mean...?"

"...Yes." Knight tied the green scarf around his neck. "...I'm going to look for her and bring her back home." His eyes moved to the eyes of his... friends. "It's up to you guys if you want to come."

And so... the journey began.


End file.
